Gripping device.



PATENTBD APB.. 26, 1904.

v F. H. LAMB. I '"YGRI'PPING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 28. 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented April 26, 1904:.

FRANK H. LAMB, HOQUIAM, WASHINGTON. l.

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SPECIFIGATIONIforming part of Letters Patent No. 758,260, dated April 26,1904.

Application led Becember 29, 1903. i Serial No'. 187,007. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern: Be it known that I, FRANK H. LAMB, a' citizen of the United States, residing at Hoquiam, in the county of Chehalis, State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gripping Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a gripping device particularly adapted to be fused withwire or other rope.

The invention has for an object to provide a main contact-shoe having a separate coperating shoe pivotally mounted thereon opposite the contacting face of the main shoe, whereby an extended gripping-surface is provided and an automatic contact gripping stress applied to the wire or rope when the separate shoes are thrown into contact therewith.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel construction of operating-levers whereby the strain of drawing the. separate shoes into contact with material operates toward the opposite ends of the main shoe, giving also a compound leverage of great force in the gripping contact and from which contact the levers may be released by slackening a tension-rope. Y

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof dened by the appended claims. Y

In the drawings, Figure 1 1s an elevation of v the invention applied to a rope or cable. Fig.

2 is a plan thereof. Fig. Sjis an end view at the right of Fig. I. Fig. 4 is a modified form of the device, and Fig. 5 is a further modification thereof.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

The main shoe A is provided with suitable contact-face A', which may be of any desired configuration for gripping the rope, cable, or

other object to which -the device is applied. Cooperating with the main shoe one or more pivotally-rnounted shoes may be used-for instance, in Fig. l separately-mounted shoes B and C, the former being pivoted at the upper end of the lever A2 by means of the pivot A3, said lever being pivoted to the shoe A at the point A4, and thelower free end A5 of the lever being connected by the pivot A6 with the arm A7, which at its upper end is pivoted at A9 to `the opposite independent shoe C.

A. This shoe C is also formed with a suitable connection or link AB, for instance, provided with an eye (l2 for the tension-rope C3, by which it may be drawn into contact with the rope or cable to be gripped.

he lever and arm Vmay be duplicated upon opposite sides of the shoes, as shown, or one set may be omitted, if desired. The pivot AG may also comprise a bolt having its head A9 countersunk upon .the inner face of the lever and held against rotation by a .pin'or fastening A1". p

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the two shoes B and C are replaced by a single shoe D, pivoted to lever AiA at D and .at its opposite end D2 extended beneath a contact-pin D3, which has a sliding contact on the end of the shoe. Aconnection-link D4 is also carried by this pin to receive a suitable line, as C3 in Fig. l.

i In Fig. 5 a further modification is shown, in which the lever A2 is provided at its upper end with a con tact-roller E', adapted to travel lupon the free end E2 of the shoe while the opposite endvthereof is pivotally connected at E3 to the arm Aand beyond said arm provided. with a connecting-eye E4.

In the operation of the invention itwill be seen that when strain is applied to the tension f line the shoe connected thereto will, through the arm and lever, be drawnlongitw dinally downward-toward one end of the main shoe, which motion is transmitted through the arm to the free end of the lever carrying or contacting with the shoe, which thusV travels downward and provides a gripping-contact at each end of the main shoe. When two upper shoes are used, as in Figs. l to 3, they move away from each other. toward the opposite ends of the main shoe. An important feature of the invention is that it automatically sets vface C' Yat the oppositeen'dof the main shoe IOC in contact with the rope or wire without any preliminary adjustment of either of the devices, andas soon as thetightening strain is applied the gripping stress then increases with the strain, however great the latter may be. Furthermore, the device may be readily disengaged from the rope or wire without hammering, as however tightly it may be gripped the slackening of the tension-line will permit the disengagement of the separate movable shoes. Another important feature of the invention is the long bearing area, whereby the wear upon the rope or cable is Very much reduced and the strain removed from a single point, so that the cutting of the strands of the cable is prevented.

It will be obvious that changes may be made in the details of construction and configuration without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim, and desire to secure p by Letters Patent, is-

at one end of the lever opposite the contactface ofthe main shoe, an arm extending from the opposite end of the lever for operating the same, and a separate shoe pivoted to the free end of said arm.

4. In a gripping device, a Inain shoe, a lever pivoted thereon, a separate shoe pivoted at one end of thc lever opposite the contactface of the main shoe, an arm extending from the opposite end of the lever for operating the same, a separate shoe pivoted to the free end of the said arm, and a connecting-link carried by the free end of said arm.

5. In a gripping device, a main shoe, a le- Ver pivoted upon one side thereof, a separate contacting shoe pivoted at one end of said lever opposite the contact-face at one end of the main shoe, a separate shoe at the opposite end of the main shoe` and an arm pivoted at one side of the last-mentioned separate shoe and to the free end of said lever.

6. In a gripping device, a main shoe, a lever pivoted thereon, an arm pivoted at one end of said lever, a cooperating shoe, means carried by the free end of the lever for contacting with said cooperating shoe, and a connection for imparting movement to the free end of said arm.

In testimony whereof I aiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRAN K H. LAMB.

Witnesses:

R. E. DAWDY, WARREN HULL. 

